mr. sponge's sporting tour. 251 



some ten miles off, to paper his drawing-room, consequently the duties 

 of deciding upon its publication devolved on the Bloomer. Now she 

 was a most refined, puritanical young woman, full of sentiment and 

 elegance, with a strong objection to what she considered the in- 

 humanities of the chase. At first she was for rejecting the article al- 

 together, and had it been a run with the Tinglebury harriers, or even, 

 we believe, with Lord Scamperdale's hounds, she would have con- 

 signed it to the " Balaam box," but seeing it was with Mr. Pumngton's 

 hounds, whose house they had papered, and who advertised with 

 them, she condescended to read it ; and though her delicacy was 

 shocked at encountering the word " stunning " at the outset, and also at 

 the term " ravishing scent" further on, she nevertheless sent the man- 

 uscript to the compositors, after making such alterations and correc- 

 tions as she thought would fit it for eyes polite. The consequence was, 

 that the article appeared in the following form, though whether all 

 the absurdities were owing to Miss Lucy's corrections, or the care- 

 lessness of the writer, or the printers had anything to do with it, we 

 are not able to say. The errors, some of them arising from the mere 

 alteration or substitution of a letter, will strike a sporting, more than a 

 general reader. Thus it appeared in the middle of the third sheet of 

 the Swillingford Patriot : — 



SPLENDID RUN W T ITH MR. PUFFINGTOn's HOUNDS. 



This splendid pack had a superb run from Hollyburn Hanger, 

 the property of its truly popular and sporting owner, Mr. PufF- 

 ington. A splendid field of well-appointed sportsmen, among whom 

 we recognised several distinguished strangers, and members of Lord 

 Scamperdale's hunt, were present. After partaking of the well-known 

 profuse and splendid hospitality of Hanby House, they proceeded at 

 once to Hollyburn Hanger, where a fine seasonal fox, though some said 

 he was a bay one, broke away in view of the whole pack, every hound 

 scorning to cry, and making the welkin ring with their melody. He 

 broke at the lower end of the cover, and crossing the brook, made 

 straight for Fleccyhaugh Vv r ater-Meadows, over which there is always 

 an exquisite perfume ; from there he made a slight bend, as if in- 

 clining for^ the plantations at Winstead, but changing his mind, he 

 faced the rising ground, and crossing over nearly the highest point of 

 Shillington Hill, made direct for the little village of Berrington 

 Roothiugs below. Here the hounds came to a check, but Mr. Br 

 who had ridden gallantly on his favourite bay, as fine an animal as ever 

 went, though somewhat past work of mouth, was well up with his 

 hounds, and with a " gentle rantepole ! " and a single wave of his arm, 

 proceeded to make one of those scientific rests for which this eminent 

 huntsman is so justly celebrated. Hitting off the scent like a coach- 

 man, they went away again at score, and passing by Moorlinch Farm- 



